On the final matchday for Group G, Egypt and IR Iran battled to a 1-1 draw in front of 66,925 fans at a sold-out Seattle Stadium, with Mahmoud Saber putting the Pharaohs on the board early in the 5th minute before Ramin Rezaeian quickly responded with an equalizer.
It was a dream start for the Egyptians as they stormed into the lead in the opening minutes.
Mo Salah received the ball in the box and quickly spun past his defender before firing a shot that took was partially blocked by a defender. Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand – whose heroics earned his country a draw against Belgium on Matchday Two – produced an acrobatic punch to deny Trezeguet a tap-in on the rebound. Midfielder Mahmoud Saber latched onto the loose ball and smashed the it through the goalkeeper’s legs, drawing a roar from the Egyptian fans as he raced away to celebrate.
The match maintained its frenetic pace as Iran was awarded a penalty kick five minutes later following a foul on Mehdi Taremi inside the box. The striker then stepped up for the ensuing spot kick, but his powerful shot was denied by a flying save from Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Ahmed Shobeir in the bottom corner.
Undeterred by seeing their country’s all-time leading scorer denied from the spot, Iran continued to push forward and equalized in the 14th minute.
Milad Mohammadi unleashed a shot that seemed destined for the bottom corner, but Shobeir once again produced a stunning save. Ramin Rezaeian pounced on the rebound and somehow picked out the top-left corner with a shot from an extremely tight angle to make it 1-1.
Egypt came flying out of the gates after the halftime break, with Salah setting up chances for Trezeguet twice in the first five minutes from inside the box, only to see his efforts repelled by the Iranian back line and goalkeeper.
In the 62nd minute, substitute Zizo raced onto a poor clearance from the Iranians and unleashed a powerful effort from close range, but his shot was deflected out for a corner.
Two minutes later, a well-worked set-piece routine culminated in Marwan Ateya clipping a ball to the back post that Lasheen managed to put back across the six-yard box, but Ali Nemata cleared the danger.
The Pharaohs continued to pile on the pressure as Omar Marmoush uncorked a knuckling effort in the 69th minute that deflected inches wide of the far post.
Iran produced a flurry of chances in the final 20 minutes, coming close to securing a late winner on numerous occasions.
In the 76th minute following a chaotic scramble inside the box, Mohamed Hany denied a sure goal at the back post with a flying headed clearance, prompting Shobeir to race off his line and bunch the ball away as Taremi wound up for a bicycle kick.
Iran appeared to have won the match in the third minute of second half stoppage time when Shoja Khalilzadeh swept the ball into the back of the net following a set piece, but the goal was disallowed for offside following video review.
Three minutes later, Rezaeian found himself just a few yards from goal with a chance to win it, but an Egyptian defender came flying in to block his shot at the last second. From the ensuing corner kick, Ezatolahi’s headed shot beat the goalkeeper but struck the crossbar.
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Three Takeaways
History Made
One of the most dominant forces in African soccer, Egypt entered the tournament having never won a FIFA World Cup match. That all changed on Matchday Two as they dispatched New Zealand 3-1 in Vancouver BC. Led by international icon Mo Salah, the Pharoahs made history once again as they qualified for the knockout rounds for the first time.
Drama in Group G
Friday night’s results saw Belgium jump from third in Group G into first place, with Egypt slipping into second. Iran, meanwhile, finished the group stage on three points from three draws, putting them in contention for a coveted third-place qualifying spot in the Round of 32.
Belgium will now return to Seattle for their Round of 32 match on July 1, where they'll face third-placed team from another group.
Salah Magic
While he didn’t get on the scoresheet, Mo Salah proved once again why he’s been one of the world’s best players over the last decade. Every time the Egyptian attacker got on the ball, he demonstrated his unmatched quality. The former Liverpool star weaved through defenders and orchestrated the attack, setting up teammates and carving out dangerous chances throughout his 57-minute appearance.
